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More than one million people have been ordered to evacuate the coastlines of the Carolinas and Virginia.

Emergency declarations were in force in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Emergency preparations have seen more than 2,700 National Guard troops, food stockpiled, shelters set up, traffic patterns reversed so major roads led away from shore, and 16 nuclear power reactors in the Carolinas and Virginia secured.

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses could be flooded in North Carolina alone, Governor Cooper said.

Hurricane Florence: The storm as seen from the International Space Station on Thursday (Image: EPA/NASA)

The massive storm is set to bring wind-driven storm surges of seawater as high as 13 feet in parts.

Up to 20 to 30 inches of rain will be dumped in parts, with up to 40 inches in parts of North Carolina.

There is concern over the forecasted slowing of the storm.

If Hurricane Florence stalls over land, downpours and flooding would be especially severe.

Heavy rains were forecast to extend into the Appalachians, affecting parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Utility officials have warned that widespread power outages are likely and that it could take weeks to restore electricity.

US President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday: “Hurricane Florence may now be dipping a bit south and hitting a portion of the Great State of Georgia.

"Be ready, be prepared!”

Hurricane Florence: The latest NOAA warning map (Image: NOAA)

NOAA’s key messages to the public are as follows:

A life-threatening storm surge is now highly likely alone portions of the North and South Carolina coastlines.

Life-threatening, catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding are likely over portions of the Carolinas and the southern and central Appalachians late this week into early next week, as Florence is expected to slow down as it approaches the coast and moves inland.

Damaging hurricane-force winds are likely along portions of the coasts of South Carolina and North Carolina. Strong winds could also spread inland into portions of the Carolinas.

Large swells affecting Bermuda, portions of the U.S. East Coast, and the northwestern and central Bahamas will continue this week, resulting inlife-threateningsurf and rip currents.